Sunday, August 12, 2007
Belize Annual Conference
Annual Conference 2007 & Good Bys
It has been a very busy weekend here in Belize. The Belize Annual Conference met in San Lazaro. It would be there 4th Conference. It was the first time all the pastors were here with their delegates at the conference. August Pine Ridge was the only one that did not have a pastor. It was attended very well with several visitors from the villages. Rev. Donovan Grintage the President did a great job in conducting the meetings. Brother Nick Carrillo acted as interrupter for the meetings. We are very grateful for his help. After all of the pastors and their delegates signed on. The minutes of last year’s session was read in Spanish and then in English. After which elections were held for an assistant secretary and also an assistant treasure. Because of the distant in villages this will help when one cannot make the meetings. Rev. Claudio Leal was elected to head the election committee. The District Committee was elected and then it was discussed how to change the Youth Camp so all of the churches would take part. It was decided to have two pastors and a person from each of the six churches on the committee. It was a great camp last year but only 5 youth from the Spanish area took part. Mrs. Tanya was ask to head it up, she did such a great job last year but she declined. A great effort is being given to include the Spanish churches. I am sure since this is there first time and they will appreciate any help given. After the elections were concluded. We all went to the Mission House there were already 18 people there before Sand Hill and Guinea Grass arrived. They decided to go back to there homes and come the next day so they wouldn’t crowd anyone.
On Saturday at eight o’clock we started again. Brother Daniel Perez opened with adorations songs and then did a devotional. It truly touched your heart. He took his text from I Corinthians 12 after he finished in prayer. The finance committee finished their report and a new committee was elected. The thanks committee then gave their report. They did a great job and concluded with a good bit of humor. It was decided that after electing new officers for the youth camp committee and they met there would be a retreat in Progresso in October, there is beautiful place on the lagoon. Afterward we recessed for lunch. We had tamales and chocolate cake. It was sure good and a blessing. We are grateful to San Lazaro church for their hospitality.
After lunch Rev. Donovan gave his President report. We were sorry that Sand Hill had to leave for another meeting and couldn’t be apart of the finish of conference. Rev. Donovan. was pleased to announce that Brother Mauricio Sedassey would be taking the Progresso church again. He had pastored the church 7 years when circumstances required him to quit. He has committed to serving the Lord and trusting Him to work out his financial circumstances. He has nine children. He will be a great help in building the church in Progresso! Everyone is excited and the church building will start later this year. We are still praying the Lord will rise up a pastor in August Pine Ridge. They are still having Sunday school on Sunday morning and they are praying God will move on someone to pastor that church. There are two more ladies that are working with the children now. They were having a great time this morning. Rev. Donovan wants to try to unite all the churches in the conference this year. He has visited all the church one a month to see how he could encourage them. The next pastors meeting in September will be at Sand Hill. The minutes will be translated in Spanish and English. He has requested the pastors wives come to the pastors meeting as they are so much help to the pastors they need to take part in the effort. It was also noted that all the pastors attended workshop for the Blitz and that was a blessing. He also mentioned about Rev Ruben Santos ordination. He thanked Brother Nick again for his help. Brother Donovan has committed to get the pastors Spanish literature for the adult classes. He also reminded them of general conference in the states and a desire to come and represent the Belize conference as their president. The Missionaries were also thanked for there help.
After Rev Donovan finished his speech there was communion held. Rev. Santos held the communion service with the help of Pastor Daniel who led in worship songs and Mariela Carrillo. It was a very beautiful service.
Thanks were given again for all the help and a chance for the Missionaries to speak. Rev. Don and myself shared with the Conference that we had been on loan to the Belize Conference from the Louisiana Conference. In the beginning it was for one year. The church at Union were gracious enough after Rev. Charlie Joe decided not to come back to give us another year here. Again this year we signed up for yet another year but our circumstances have changed. The young man that was helping with the church suddenly moved leaving them without a pastor. After much prayer we have decided to return to the states and Rev Don will pastor Union church where he is still listed as pastor. We love Belize with all of our heart but we also love the people at Union Church. We feel without a doubt that is where God has led us to return. In my heart it was confirmed at the finish of Communion Brother Mauricio Sedassey knelt at the alter and all the elders lay hands on him and prayed. When we came here the words that the Lord had given me were “ who will stand in the gap “ I knew without a doubt it was Brother Don and myself. One of the first things we did was go to Progresso hoping to get that church started and we met Brother Mauricio again and he said the Lord had come to him in a dream and Ernesto would bring a man to him that would restart the church and that man was Don. Well I saw this man kneeling in prayer “standing in the gap “ that is the prayer that was said over this man thanking God. He was now “standing in the gap” as well as the other Spanish pastors!! I knew that truly God had changed our direction. There were many tears on our part and all of the people. There were testimonies from them that tore to my soul as they shared how much we had meant to them. But it is we who have been blessed beyond all for the love that they have shown us. To see them standing there, Men of God I truly know the gap has been filled. We told them we would return. The Progresso church will be built and we hope to still be able to come with teams. Brother Don is trying to work out something with the Board so he can come every three months. But it is truly God who is in control. God bless . We will be returning the first part of September. Pray for us as we prepare to leave this field.
It has been a very busy weekend here in Belize. The Belize Annual Conference met in San Lazaro. It would be there 4th Conference. It was the first time all the pastors were here with their delegates at the conference. August Pine Ridge was the only one that did not have a pastor. It was attended very well with several visitors from the villages. Rev. Donovan Grintage the President did a great job in conducting the meetings. Brother Nick Carrillo acted as interrupter for the meetings. We are very grateful for his help. After all of the pastors and their delegates signed on. The minutes of last year’s session was read in Spanish and then in English. After which elections were held for an assistant secretary and also an assistant treasure. Because of the distant in villages this will help when one cannot make the meetings. Rev. Claudio Leal was elected to head the election committee. The District Committee was elected and then it was discussed how to change the Youth Camp so all of the churches would take part. It was decided to have two pastors and a person from each of the six churches on the committee. It was a great camp last year but only 5 youth from the Spanish area took part. Mrs. Tanya was ask to head it up, she did such a great job last year but she declined. A great effort is being given to include the Spanish churches. I am sure since this is there first time and they will appreciate any help given. After the elections were concluded. We all went to the Mission House there were already 18 people there before Sand Hill and Guinea Grass arrived. They decided to go back to there homes and come the next day so they wouldn’t crowd anyone.
On Saturday at eight o’clock we started again. Brother Daniel Perez opened with adorations songs and then did a devotional. It truly touched your heart. He took his text from I Corinthians 12 after he finished in prayer. The finance committee finished their report and a new committee was elected. The thanks committee then gave their report. They did a great job and concluded with a good bit of humor. It was decided that after electing new officers for the youth camp committee and they met there would be a retreat in Progresso in October, there is beautiful place on the lagoon. Afterward we recessed for lunch. We had tamales and chocolate cake. It was sure good and a blessing. We are grateful to San Lazaro church for their hospitality.
After lunch Rev. Donovan gave his President report. We were sorry that Sand Hill had to leave for another meeting and couldn’t be apart of the finish of conference. Rev. Donovan. was pleased to announce that Brother Mauricio Sedassey would be taking the Progresso church again. He had pastored the church 7 years when circumstances required him to quit. He has committed to serving the Lord and trusting Him to work out his financial circumstances. He has nine children. He will be a great help in building the church in Progresso! Everyone is excited and the church building will start later this year. We are still praying the Lord will rise up a pastor in August Pine Ridge. They are still having Sunday school on Sunday morning and they are praying God will move on someone to pastor that church. There are two more ladies that are working with the children now. They were having a great time this morning. Rev. Donovan wants to try to unite all the churches in the conference this year. He has visited all the church one a month to see how he could encourage them. The next pastors meeting in September will be at Sand Hill. The minutes will be translated in Spanish and English. He has requested the pastors wives come to the pastors meeting as they are so much help to the pastors they need to take part in the effort. It was also noted that all the pastors attended workshop for the Blitz and that was a blessing. He also mentioned about Rev Ruben Santos ordination. He thanked Brother Nick again for his help. Brother Donovan has committed to get the pastors Spanish literature for the adult classes. He also reminded them of general conference in the states and a desire to come and represent the Belize conference as their president. The Missionaries were also thanked for there help.
After Rev Donovan finished his speech there was communion held. Rev. Santos held the communion service with the help of Pastor Daniel who led in worship songs and Mariela Carrillo. It was a very beautiful service.
Thanks were given again for all the help and a chance for the Missionaries to speak. Rev. Don and myself shared with the Conference that we had been on loan to the Belize Conference from the Louisiana Conference. In the beginning it was for one year. The church at Union were gracious enough after Rev. Charlie Joe decided not to come back to give us another year here. Again this year we signed up for yet another year but our circumstances have changed. The young man that was helping with the church suddenly moved leaving them without a pastor. After much prayer we have decided to return to the states and Rev Don will pastor Union church where he is still listed as pastor. We love Belize with all of our heart but we also love the people at Union Church. We feel without a doubt that is where God has led us to return. In my heart it was confirmed at the finish of Communion Brother Mauricio Sedassey knelt at the alter and all the elders lay hands on him and prayed. When we came here the words that the Lord had given me were “ who will stand in the gap “ I knew without a doubt it was Brother Don and myself. One of the first things we did was go to Progresso hoping to get that church started and we met Brother Mauricio again and he said the Lord had come to him in a dream and Ernesto would bring a man to him that would restart the church and that man was Don. Well I saw this man kneeling in prayer “standing in the gap “ that is the prayer that was said over this man thanking God. He was now “standing in the gap” as well as the other Spanish pastors!! I knew that truly God had changed our direction. There were many tears on our part and all of the people. There were testimonies from them that tore to my soul as they shared how much we had meant to them. But it is we who have been blessed beyond all for the love that they have shown us. To see them standing there, Men of God I truly know the gap has been filled. We told them we would return. The Progresso church will be built and we hope to still be able to come with teams. Brother Don is trying to work out something with the Board so he can come every three months. But it is truly God who is in control. God bless . We will be returning the first part of September. Pray for us as we prepare to leave this field.
# posted by Don & Pat @ 4:47 PM 
